Switch and signal apparatus



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. H. JACKSON.

SWITCH AND SIGNAL APPARATUS. No. 250,075. Patented Nov. 29,1881.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shed 2.

'0. H. JACKSON.

SWITCH AND SIGNAL APPARATUS. k N0. 250,07 5. v Patented Nov,29,1881.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CALEB H. JACKSON, OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCH AND SIGNAL APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 250,075, dated November -29, 1881.

Application filed June 21, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CALEB H. JACKSON, of Harrisburg, countyot' Dauphin, State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered a new and useful Improvement in Switch and Signal Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, concise, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which-like letters indicating like parts Figure 1 is an end elevation of the leverframe, levers, and locking-gear. Figs. 2 and 3 are top or plan views thereof, but with the upper ends of the levers cut away, and showing the apparatus in diflerent positions; and Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrams, to a reduced scale, of the tracks and connections to which the apparatus of Figs. 1 to 3 is particularly applicable.

In railway operations one of the most fruitful sources of accidents arisesfrom the fouling of a througlrtrain running on the main track with a car or train which ought to be on a siding. A car is sometimes left on a siding with its brakes off or not set, and a heavy wind is liable to blow it along the siding so far over toward the main track that it will be struck by an approaching train; also, the brakes of cars on sidings are sometimes let off or released by boys, tramps, or other intermeddlers, so as to produce the same kind of a collision in the same way, or in consequence of the existence of a downgrade; also, the same result may follow if an engineer, from carelessness or otherwise, attempts to take a train off a siding in the face of contrary signals. By my present invention I guard effectually against all possible occurrence of such an accident from any of the causes named; and to that end I combine a switch and signal shifting mechanism, an interlocking mechanism, the ordinary switch at the junction of the sidingand main track, and a switch and stub or throw-off track at the end of this siding, all so arranged that when the main-track switch is set for main line open the stub or throw-oft switches will be set to the Hence when the switches are set for the passage of a train on the main line it will be absolutely impossible to run a train or car from the siding onto the main line or so near to it as to result in fouling.

Assuming the application of the present invention to a main track,A, which is connected by two switches, a a, with a siding, A, the latter track is extended to or a short distance beyond the switch-junction a, as at A and ends in a bumper, (1, or, the bumper being omitted, provision may be made for the derailment of the end of a car at that point, as the same is sometimes practiced at the ends of tracks. At any convenient point relatively to such switches I arrange a switch-frame, B B and secure it to any suitable foundation. This frame may be of any suitable construction; but for supporting the operative parts of a two-lever machine it may be made of a bottom plate, B, supported a little above the foundation, (or the latter may be hollowed out or depressed,) an upper plate, B, and cornerposts B Between a series of lugs, b, on the bottom plate I pivot two levers, D D, the one, D, being-a switch-lever, and the other, D, being a signal-lever. These levers extend up through slots in the upper plate, B, and are moved, in doing their work, back and forth between quadrants c. t

Each lever terminates above in the usual handle, and is provided with the usual catchrod, D which, by handle and spring in the usual way, works the usual catch, d, raising it out'of or dropping it into the usual recess, 0 0 in the quadrant at the ends of the forward and back strokes of the levers.

The switch-lever D at its lower end has a connection, by gas-pipe, rod, or wire 6 c e and bell-cranks 0 with the movable switch-rails a a, so as to shift both simultaneously, but in opposite directions, so that when one is closed the other will always be open. The signal-lever D has a like connection, by gas-pipe, rod, or wirei i i and bell-cranks i with two or more signals, Gr, which are arranged outside the switches and at such distance therefrom as properly to guard them. These signals may be of any desired construction, and mayhave like motions and positions at all times. With the levers in the positions illustrated in Fig. 5- that is, back or pushed over to the right-the main line is open and both or all signals are at safety, so that trains may pass or repass on the mainline; but if, while thetracks and switches are in this condition, a train, car, or locomotive should attempt, from carelessness or otherwise, to pass from the siding onto the main track, it would run onto the stub-track A and be effectually prevented from fouling with a standing or passing train on the main track, or,in fact, from reaching themain track at all. But if it be desired to close the main track as against through travel, for the purpose of enabling a train, car, or locomotive to take or leave the siding, the signal-lever D is first pulled over to the left, which shifts the signals to danger, as shown in Fig.4. Trains on the main track then will, in obedience to the signals, be brought to a standstill. Theswitches may then be shifted by giving the lever D a movement forward or to the left, whereby the siding will be bronghtinto communication with the main track, asalsoshown in Fig. 4. When the switching has been finished the tracks and signals can be restored to main line open, and

the running of through-trains be continued as before.

My present invention also contemplates the locking of the switch by the movement of the signal-lever whenever the main line is open,

andthelockingof thesignals at danger bythe movement of the switch-lever whenever the switches are open, by which latter term I mean when the switches are set for bringing the siding and main track into communication. To this end the signal-lever D has pivoted to lugs on its side, as at s, a connecting stem or link, 8', which latter, at its other end, is pivoted to the arm or shank s ofa book, 8 said hook being pivoted, as at 8 to the upper plate, 13, of the frame. The switch-lever D has pivoted to it, in like manner as at r, a like stemm, which, in turn, is pivo.ed to the shank r of a likehook, W, said hook also being pivoted, as at r", to the plate B.

With the levers in the positions shown in Figs. 2 and 5,it will be seen that the signallever D is not locked, but that the backward motion of such signal-lever has turned its hook 8 around in front of the switch-lever D, so as to lock it in position, and of course lock the switch-rails, so that until the signal-lever is shifted and the signals are set at danger the main-line track cannot be broken; but drawing the signal-lever forward, or to the left, to the position in Figs. 3 and 4, shifts the hook s to the position shown in Fig. 3, and out of the way of the lever D. Signals are now at dan ger,and movingtheswitch-lever forward, or. to the left, to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, so as to open the switches, causes its hook r to pass in back of the signal-lever D, as shown in Fig. 3, and thereby lock it, so that so long as the switches remain open the signals cannot be shifted to safety, but restoringthe main-track connections unlocks the signals, and shifting the signals again locks the switchlever. The like arrangement of stub-track, switches, signals, andinterlocking mechanism may be applied in like manner to the sidings of a double-track road, and such construction is included herein as of my invention.

Other forms or constructions of interlocking switch and signal shifting mechanism may be substituted for that described. Many such are known in the art, and the one shown is selected for that purpose only as a matter of convenience. The devices described, separately considered, are admitted to be old.

I claim herein as my invention- The combination, with a main track, a siding, a switch at the junction of main track and siding, and with a switch and stub-track at the end of the siding, of a system of inter locking switch and signal levers and connections for simultaneously operating such switches, substantially as described, whereby to render impossible the fouling of a car or train on a siding witha train on the main line while the latter is open.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CALEB H. JACKSON.

Witnesses;

S. W. FLEMING, GEORGE H. OHRIsTY. 

